Groton - It could have been a 34-unit housing development.

Instead, the 63-acre tract known as the Sheep Farm was celebrated Saturday as part of Connecticut Trails Day, attracting about 20 community members for a walk in the woods.

Sheep haven't been raised on the Hazelnut Hill Road parcel in more than 10 years, said Sue Sutherland of the Groton Open Space Association (GOSA), but the farm's mountain laurel forest, meadows and wetlands are perfect for those wanting to experience a tranquil setting minutes from downtown.

The hike was one of 193 planned statewide for Saturday's event.

"It's a great opportunity for people to get out and see nature," Sutherland said after an hour and a half walk through the variable terrain on a brilliantly beautiful morning. "We have really rich, great open space right in town."

The parcel is the latest victory for GOSA, a conservation group that works to save land from development, Sutherland said. Two grants and a prodigious fundraising effort allowed the group to buy the property in December, Sutherland said, the latest of more than 1,500 acres of open space in Groton the group has preserved.

"The more we can connect all the properties for walking and biking, the better," said Sutherland, who also serves on the town's master plan committee and the zoning commission.

Since the purchase, the group has made improvements to the farm, which dates to the early 1700s. Changes are still under way, and more trails will be cleared. Sutherland said about 2 miles of trails crisscross the property now, but it could look significantly different by fall.

The farm includes remnants of agricultural and industrial operations, including an early 18th century gristmill along Fort Hill Brook and the Samuel Edgecomb House. Edgecomb's son became famous for his efforts to fight off British troops during the Revolutionary War by throwing 18-pound shots over the walls of Fort Griswold.

The remains of the home sit near the parking lot, with only a low rock wall still standing, Sutherland said.

But that's just a taste of the forest's history and beauty.

Two trails, including one that follows a colonial road, head into the woods through new and old growth trees.

The blue trail follows more open, meadow-like areas, while the red follows Fort Hill Brook, which originates underground and empties, eventually, into Long Island Sound.

Some of the meadows have grown back a bit in the years since sheep roamed and grazed the parcel, but Sutherland said the group is hoping to keep some area open and turn it into low brush and thickets. She said that effort could create suitable habitat for New England cottontail, wood thrush and woodcock.

The attempt to control the landscape draws a parallel to what the early settlers tried to accomplish, Sutherland said.

The first thing the settlers probably did on the site, she said, is engineer a mill along the brook. Remnants of the gristmill remain, as well as sites for the miller's house, which Sutherland said are shown in an early deed for the property.

The brook, which bisects the farm, includes a 10-foot waterfall and provides what Sutherland said is a suitable habitat for amphibian life.

Its sandy bottom, life-supporting, brook-fed vernal pools and lack of fish makes it the perfect breeding ground and nursery for frogs and salamanders, she said.

The tranquillity of the area is especially pronounced because the property abuts the 50-acre Mystic Woods.

"It's wonderful what they've been able to do, to preserve all this land, and we have to thank (GOSA)," said Vicki Field, of Noank.

s.goldstein@theday.com

IF YOU GO

Take Hazelnut Hill Road, off Route 117, past the Pequot Health Center. Sign and parking will be on the right.

Watch for poison ivy and ticks. Leashed dogs are allowed.

Bikes are allowed on the blue trail.

Open year-round.

Read all posted notices.